Monitoring and managing a Jackery Explorer remotely

[patfinegan]

Confessions of a Solar Newbie

Several years ago, I installed a cable modem, router, and WiFi security cameras on a remote, vacant estate I manage. I installed the network of security devices after several break-ins, occasional vandalism, and a secretive, six-month squatter.

The intruders caught wind and, rising to the challenge, tampered with the USB charging devices (yanked cords), wiped SD cards (covered their tracks), and otherwise trespassed and squatted as usual. So, I replaced many of the cameras with hardwired Ethernet ones, mounted others at great height, changed all my locks, added deadbolts everywhere, and pondered how to defend against the easiest way to defeat my security system – a power failure. I padlocked the fuse box, hid the extra fuses, and installed a Jackery Explorer 1000 in the attic with three 100W Renogy solar panels on the roof. I ran grid power (Con Edison) and the Jackery’s inverter into an automatic transfer switch (Con Edison as primary, Jackery as backup), and ran my cable modem, router and Ethernet cameras off the ATS. Easy peasy.

But then I questioned why I was wasting so much solar energy. If I could just monitor the wattage remaining in the Jackery, I could reverse the ATS, making the Jackery unit primary and grid power secondary (a backup). The problems were immediate. When the Jackery’s battery depleted, it shut off inverter output , the ATS switched to Con Edison grid power as intended, but, here's the problem, the Jackery did not turn inverter output back on when the battery recharged. It required a manual push of the Output button, something that was impractical for a remote, vacant property.

So, I attached a WiFi-enabled smart plug to the inverter output, so I could turn off its output, and thus instruct the ATS to switch to Con Edison grid power, when I felt the battery needed to recharge. Unfortunately, there was no direct way to monitor the Jackery’s battery’s state of charge, because the LCD display cannot be monitored by app (none, at least, that this solar newbie is aware of) or even a security camera, because the LCD display goes blank unless someone manually pushes the Display button. So, I programmed the smart plug as a timer – on at 7 am, off at 11 am, leaving the rest of the day for the battery to recharge. That worked for just three days. Hyperactive security footage on one of the days blew through the Jackery’s 1000 watts and the inverter output shut down. There was no way to restart it without a manual push of the Output button, but I live 2 hours and a car rental away. Frustrating.

My next gambit. I plugged a WiFi-enabled smart plug into a regular power outlet (Con Edison), plugged the Jackery’s AC/DC transformer charger into that smart plug, and plugged the transformer charger into the JE 1000’s unused DCM 8 mm input. I timed the smart plug to enable grid-based recharging of the JE 1000 from 6pm to 7am, thus ensuring that the JE 1000 begins every morning with a full charge, regardless of how much juice the solar panels produced the previous day. Hopefully, this configuration will utilize all available energy from the three Renogy panels but avoid prompting the JE inverter output to turn itself off unexpectedly. As for the cable modem and router, I bought an uninterruptible power supply. That will function long enough to instruct the smart plug on the JE inverter to switch on, powering my PoE (power of Ethernet) security devices. If the unit still conks out, I will shrink the inverter’s output time frame from 5 to 4.5 hours, then 4.0, etc. to whatever time frame the JE can reliably handle.

My questions for those with more solar experience. (1) is this approach nuts, (2) is there a direct way to monitor the JE 1000’s battery state remotely, (3) is there a pertinent app I don’t know about, and (4) has anyone tried to accomplish something similar and, if so, what insights can you share?

Thank you in advance for your patience and kind assistance.

 

[Shimmy]

It looks like the only way to know charge state is via the screen, so unless you have a camera pointed at it I don't think you can monitor it.

Does your smart plug have power metering? You could look at recharge power towards the end of the cycle and see if you see demand ramping down. You might be able to cycle on ConEd for an hour during daylight to see what demand is at then as well, so you get a sense of the PV generated thus far.

Do you know what your load profile is? My security system and network stuff draw about 150W, which would be a bit tight on 300W of PV, even if just for 11h per day.

 

[patfinegan]

Thank you, Shimmy, for your thoughts. I am really grateful.

It looks like the only way to know charge state is via the screen, so unless you have a camera pointed at it I don't think you can monitor it.

I tried that. Unfortunately, the LCD display's normal state is off. It turns on (only for a few seconds) when you manually push the Display button. Arghh!

Do you know what your load profile is? My security system and network stuff draw about 150W, which would be a bit tight on 300W of PV, even if just for 11h per day.

The maximum load is 143W when I'm running the fan to ventilate the attic (a frequent necessity this summer), 100-110W otherwise. Yes, 11 hours per day is a pipe dream. I am trying to eke out 4-5. It would be a shame to let the daily solar energy production go to waste.

Does your smart plug have power metering? You could look at recharge power towards the end of the cycle and see if you see demand ramping down. You might be able to cycle on ConEd for an hour during daylight to see what demand is at then as well, so you get a sense of the PV generated thus far.

I am confused. Even if the smart plug had power metering (I didn't know such a plug even existed), the Jackery inverter's output is a perfect sine wave at 120V with constant current until its 43Ah are depleted, at which point it simply turns off. So, a smart plug with power metering wouldn't know the charge state until the inverter turned off, which, in turn, would turn off the smart plug, so it wouldn't be able to report anything because it was shut off.

Suggestion to Jackery developers and hackers: I, for one, would pay a LOT for a phone app that enabled remote control of a Jackery Explorer unit. I can't be the only one who would find it invaluable.

 

[Tym]

Your Jackery isn’t going to last long running in such a hot environment.

 

[Shimmy]

I am confused. Even if the smart plug had power metering (I didn't know such a plug even existed), the Jackery inverter's output is a perfect sine wave at 120V with constant current until its 43Ah are depleted, at which point it simply turns off. So, a smart plug with power metering wouldn't know the charge state until the inverter turned off, which, in turn, would turn off the smart plug, so it wouldn't be able to report anything because it was shut off.

You can try to make a predictive profile of when the Jackery will shut off. When the battery is fully charged, the power consumption should drop ...some. Exactly how much it drops will depend on how it is set up internally-- if that input has priority to support the load then it is harder, and this is the likely scenario. Still, it should go from supporting 130% of the load down to (say) 105% of the load eventually. The ShellyPM line and Sonoff S31 (not S31 lite) as an example offer the capability.

You could add in a hall-effect current transformer on the PV panels to another smart meter, but that gets even harder.

 

[patfinegan]

You can try to make a predictive profile of when the Jackery will shut off.

That was my thought, but I assumed I would be forced to use blind trial and error. 5 hours was evidently too much, so try 4.5, then 4, and so on. I can see how the Shelly and Sonoff devices could really expedite the process. Thank you, Shimmy, I ordered a Shelly 1PM One Smart Relay Switch and will splice it between the JE 1000's inverter output jack and my ATS. It won't prevent the next shutdown event (battery depletion), but should help me fine tune the subsequent test iteration.

The biggest uncertainty for me is whether an intruder setting off multiple motion sensors, and thus multiple video feeds, would demonstrably increase electrical load. If so, I will have fine-tuned myself into a box, ensuring a shutdown event (battery depletion) when I need the power most. I guess I should run around the property, setting off as many detections as possible, whenever I use the Shelly 1 PM relay switch to measure load. As I said, I have already ordered the unit, so I will find out. Thank you, again, for all your insight.

Your Jackery isn’t going to last long running in such a hot environment.

There are two hot months per year for me (NY State), not the Jackery (I hope). Downstairs, I let the temperature range from 55 in the winter (to prevent pipes from freezing) to 85 in the summer (so my beer and wine remain drinkable). Upstairs, my Sensored Life MarCELL sensor has registered temperatures as low as 48 and as high as 95, with most readings falling between 60 and 80. Unless Jackery's were designed just for campers in the Pacific Northwest or Northern Europe, I suspect the unit will last, or so I hope.

 

[Shimmy]

I ordered a Shelly 1PM One Smart Relay Switch and will splice it between the JE 1000's inverter output jack and my ATS. It won't prevent the next shutdown event (battery depletion), but should help me fine tune the subsequent test iteration.

You might want to add one on the AC input side as well; it will show you the charging power, which should taper off as the battery becomes full.

 

[patfinegan]

Mechanical solution: Amazon sells something called the SwitchBot Bot and Hub, https://www.amazon.com/SwitchBot-Bot-White-Hub-Mini/dp/B0869GJVG4, which allow you to push a button mechanically via WiFi app and Bluetooth hub controller. Goofy, I know, but I think it solves the problem. Yes, I will still need a smart plug to turn on the Jackery Explorer's AC/DC grid-sourced transformer every evening to top off the battery, assuming the solar panels have not produced enough. And, I will put a smart plug on the inverter output instructing it to only supply the ATS between, say, 7 am and 10:30 am, knowing from experience that anything more will drain the Jackery's battery completely. This configuration will allow the ATS to rely on its backup source, Con Edison, for the rest of the day and all night, while the Jackery battery recharges from, first, solar panels during the day, and, second, grid power during the night. Having a WiFi-controlled mechanical button pusher will allow me to restart the inverter when, because of miscalculated usage, the battery drains too far and shuts off. The way I'll know it shut off is my second smart plug (the one between the inverter and ATS) will also shut off because of the lack of power. I presume the Shelly unit will do the same. As a final backup, there is a small light on the Jackery that glows green when the inverter is on, which, believe it or not, my security camera can spot from across the room. One way or another, I would know from 70 miles away that the inverter was off and that, after some time allowed for recharging, I can instruct the SwitchBot Bot via WiFi app to mechanically turn inverter output back on. Wild!

Yes, if I figure out how to use the first Shelly 1 PM smart relay, I will purchase a second unit and place it on the AC input side, as you suggest. This has all been so helpful. Thank you!

PS: I could even add a SwitchBot bot to the button that temporarily turns on the Jackery's LCD display. If I installed a closer camera, I could learn the Jackery's exact state of charge and input and output wattage. Admittedly, I am a geek, but not enough of a geek to spend that extra money. I'm saving up for my next installation of panels -- this time to service the oil furnace (still needs electricity for some reason) and refrigerator.